The invention has particular utility in providing radial support of a linear armature or shaft, magnetically and without physical contact, while permitting it to freely translate along its axis and/or rotate about its axis, thus eliminating frictional wear which eliminates the need for lubricants and thereby guarantees a relatively long operational life. Such apparatus is vitally necessary in applications where the equivalent becomes substantially inaccessible once put into operation.
A magnetic bearing is a device which includes a relatively stationary electromagnetic circuit which is adapted to hold a magnetizable element in suspension. An active magnetic bearing includes a displacement detector and an electronic control unit coupled thereto which forms a servosystem whereby any displacement of the suspended element as sensed by the detector is counteracted by an opposing magnetic force generated by the electromagnetic circuit in response to an output from the electronic control unit. While such apparatus is well known, it nevertheless is still subject to various physical phenomenon of non-mechanical origin such as eddy current losses, undesired phase shifts, etc., which have a deleterious effect on the operation and efficiency of the system.